EMORIMOR | OSUBAN | DEATH 

SOROTI - A debate on where the paramount chief of Teso, Emorimor Augustine Osuban Lemukol, should be buried is raging among its subjects. 

The Iteso do not have a burial ground for their cultural king. They also do not have a palace. 

As a result, Emorimor has been living at his home in Abilayep, Serere district, where, it is said, he informed his family that he should be buried. 

However, that decision has not gone down well with his subjects, who are demanding that he be buried in the heart of Soroti city. 

Their demands follow a donation of land by Soroti local government to Iteso Cultural Union (ICU), for the building of their offices. 

The land previously housed the regional Police headquarters and has also been temporarily housing Emorimor’s office. 

“By virtue of his position, Emorimor ceased to be the leader of his home or clan and instead became a clan leader for all Iteso. It’s against that background that he should be buried in Soroti, the central point, so that Iteso from all corners can pay homage,” Ruth Kulume, one of the subjects, said. 

William Aloch, an elder in the kingdom, suggested that the Soroti land be used as a burial ground for all the subsequent kings. 

“We may not see the value of burying Emorimor in Soroti right now, but after 10 years, we shall regret it. This is because the royal tomb should be the place the Iteso converge annually to commemorate papa, which we shall not have control over if he is buried at his home,” Aloch said. 

The debate started on Monday during the first meeting that was held in Teso to discuss how Emorimor should be buried.

“Emorimor is a unifying person for all the Iteso, not for Serere alone! That is why we need the family to accept that since he has been a father for all, he should be buried at the central point,” David Okurut, another subject, said. 

The deputy prime minister of Iteso, Valerian Ejalu, who chaired the meeting, said he would forward the views to the main committee chaired by Prof. Francis Omaswa. 

Efforts to get a comment from Omaswa were futile, as he did not pick calls to his known telephone number. When contacted, prime minister Augustine Okurut Omare, who is the acting Emorimor, said he was in a meeting. 

Omare assumed the responsibilities of Emorimor immediately the latter died on Saturday in Kampala. 

The chairman of the council, Paul Sande Emolot, should have taken over these responsibilities, but he was suspended by the Emorimor on grounds of errors during their elections last year.